◆ Chapter 18: Departing Grantz Royal Capital
“SO many troops… There’s more than who joined us on the quest to vanquish the Dark Djinn, right?”
“Altogether, one hundred and fifty soldiers are joining us to vanquish the dragon!”
Shortly after the sun rose, Lex and I stepped outside the walls protecting the royal capital. Twenty days have passed since His Majesty the King vowed to back Operation Purify Cladorca.
Finally, the day of the operation has arrived.
Grantz soldiers assigned to this quest are waiting as far as the eye can see. It’s a spectacular sight to behold, especially when it’s rare to have this many people gathered in one location. What’s worrisome is the number of horses they are using to travel to Cladorca. Horses will also be used to pull carriages, but for the most part, it’s one soldier to a horse.
“Is it really okay to spare so many horses for our cause?” I ask.
“We have to, with this many of our troops going out. We can’t risk camping anywhere within the zombie-infested Torstana,” Lex explains. “Our strategy banks on speed, hence the horses.”
With time, the horses will reproduce and increase in numbers, but the world isn’t safe enough for that yet. Every horse here was freed from the various Boneless Hams I’ve defeated. They are still a commodity that is hard to come by.
“To think you would actually bring my plans to fruition...” Pino says as he walks up to us.
“You say that like you didn’t believe I could do it, but you prepared everything in advance,” I retort with a smirk.
“I only handed out instructions, nothing more. It is the people who actually took action that deserve the praise.” Pino always has a sour look on his face, but he actually does a lot for the people around him. He’s capable of so much, I often doubt he’s younger than me.
“Of course everyone deserves praise for getting us this far, but that doesn’t take away from your awesome contribution, Pino! For example, I would’ve never come up with anti-dragon arrows like you did!”
“Nor would I,” Lex agrees, sounding impressed.
“Not just anyone could come up with attaching thin glass filled with holy water to the arrowheads.”
“It wasn’t feasible to create an item each person would have to splash on the dragon before they strike. I merely thought up a means to use the dragon’s thick hide against it. Like I said, I didn’t do much,” Pino insists, being modest once again.
Some people say being too humble can be a sign of arrogance, but I don’t hear a lick of backhanded boasting from him. Maybe I’m just too much of an optimistic thinker, but I only feel impressed by Pino.
“At least now the dragon isn’t as scary,” I say.
“We don’t have much information on it yet. Don’t underestimate it,” Pino warns.
“I know, I know. I won’t!” My carefree response earns an askance look from him. Obviously, I don’t expect everything to go according to plan. Whenever a problem arises, I’ll have to find a solution. Still, I rather go in thinking it will work than otherwise.
“MiZUha!”
“Geh! It appears.” I hate myself for knowing him by his voice.
Realizing an annoying person had come, Pino turns on his heel to leave. “Good luck.”
“Aw, you’re leaving?!”
“I don’t specialize in pesky nobles. Goodbye.” Pino heartlessly walks away. I regret not bringing up Cia to keep him here. I consider chasing after him, but it’s too late—the pesky noble, Keith Rowadan, is standing before me, smiling from ear to ear.
“…I heard you were coming, but hoped otherwise,” I sigh.
“It’s only natural for me to join the operation when my future wife is involved. I can’t allow my bride to venture into danger alone!”
“Please don’t decide my future for me.”
“HA! HA! Your shyness is as precious as always, my MiZUha!”
It’s impossible to hold a real conversation with him. I wish he would use his unshakeable will toward something that would better the world.
“Now, get on my horse with me—”
“Lord Rowadan,” Lex interrupts. “You seem to have misunderstood your orders. You have been assigned to the main force. Lady Mizuha is a part of the detached force.”
“H-How can that be?! I agreed to partake because I would be with MiZUha! There’s no point if she’s elsewhere!”
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the assignments have already been decided,” Lex informs.
“Then reassign me to the detached force!” Keith demands.
“It cannot be done. The detached unit consists only of elites. With all due respect, you will hinder our efforts,” Lex declines in a clear cut manner that belies his usual benevolence.
That being said, we are literally heading toward the jaws of danger—considering one wrong step might get someone or everyone killed, I agree with Lex’s approach of bluntly rejecting him.
Keith has tasted defeat at Lex’s hands too many times to count, so he’s fully aware he can’t override his decision. His whole body trembles with rage.
“My love for MiZUha is second to none!” he rages.
“In that case, you should refrain from joining our unit, as you are likely to summon zombies to our location through your tireless shouts of love. Please show Lord Rowadan to his assigned location.” Lex signals several soldiers who firmly restrain Keith’s arms. They drag him away per usual, just this time his horse follows.
“Un-Unhand me! Blast! MiZUha! No matter how far apart we are, the love that ties us together shall never come undone! Call my name when you get lonely! I swear I will make my way to you!”
“Yeah, whatever you say. Please try not to cause problems for the others,” I say dryly.
“I just heard it! Your loving voice has reached me, MiZUha! As I thought, you and I are connected by love—” His rant sounds like it’s going to go on for a long time, so I consciously push it out of my mind. He never ceases to be a tiring man.
“…I have never seen a more frustrating man in my life. I and the other believers shall protect our Goddess.”
Oh joy, another nuisance has arrived in Keith’s place.
“I figured they would come too…” I say to Lex.
“What a coincidence, Lady Mizuha, I did too.”
Lex and I turn toward the speaker together. Lo and behold, we find a group of people clad in hooded cloaks headed up by Iris. These are the fanatic believers belonging to the Church of Our Lady Mizuha that mistakenly worships me as the goddess. There are a total of fifty members. My greatest concern of late is the steady increase in members every time I see them.
Exhaling an exhausted sigh, I ask, “You’re going to come even if I tell you not to, aren’t you?”
“We are always one with our Goddess,” Iris proclaims.
“…Telling you no isn’t going to work, is it?”
“Heavens no!”
Yeah, I figured as much. I did, but I wish they hid it better.
“But we will be traveling by horse. How will you keep up?”
“We will run alongside you.”
I struggle to call them devout believers when I’m what they worship, but in any case, they run on a useless amount of moxie. I bet they will push through any obstacle with willpower alone.
“I know you were listening to us tell Keith this, but I am a part of a detached force. If you want to assist, please lend your efforts to the main force. Will you do that for me?” I phrase it like a request.
“…Y-You can count on us...!” Iris exclaims.
“You paused for a long time there.”
“You imagined it.”
She absolutely plans to tag along with my unit.
“If you’re lying, I’ll have Lex destroy each and every item everyone is carrying right now,” I threaten.
“Y-You mustn’t! Not our precious goddess statues!”
“Everyone, get in formation—the anti-Goddess formation!”
The believers form a circle with their backs facing inward. It’s definitely a formation to protect “my statue” from me. I’m not even sure where to begin picking apart the irony of the situation, but if nothing else, they seem intent on carrying a statue of me with them everywhere.